Anti-dandruff hair preparation

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to hair preparations having activity against dandruff, containing as an anti-dandruff agent the proteolytic enzyme material rennet. One form of the hair preparations is a lotion, for example an aqueous or alcoholic solution or emulsion of rennet having a pH of from 2 to 9. Rennet may also be incorporated in shampoos, creams, sprays and gels.

United States Patent Forsthofi 1 Sept. 26, 1972 [54] ANTl-DANDRUFF HAIRPREPARATION [56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Ernst L ldwigForsthoff, Schenefeld, OTHER PUBLICATIONS Kreis Pmneberg, Germany Cayle,Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Vol. 14, No. 6, page 254,June 1963 [73] Assignee: Lever Brothers Company, New

York, Primary ExaminerRichard L. Huff N 5, Attorney-Louis Kline, J1. fital.

[21] Appl. No.: 196,226 [57] ABSTRACT This invention relates to hairpreparations having ac- [30] Foreign Application Priority Data tivityagainst dandruff, containing as an anti-dandruff agent the proteolyticenzyme material rennet. One 1970 Luxembourg "62030 form of the hairpreparations is a lotion, for example an aqueous or alcoholic solutionor emulsion of rennet [52] U.S. Cl. ..424/94, 424/DlG. 4 having a pH offrom 2 to Rennet may also be incop Int. Cl. porated in shampoos, creamsp y and g Field of Search ..424/DIG. ,4, 94, 7O

7 Claims, No Drawings ANTl-DANDRUFF HAIR PREPARATION This inventionrelates to hair preparations containing rennet and particularly tolotions containing rennet for the control of dandruff.

beneficial effect on the skin. It has also been suggested trypsin shouldbe added to dental preparations in order to dissolve protein-containingfood residues. Proteolytic enzymes, such as keratinase have also beensuggested for use as depilatories.

Tryptic enzymes, such as pancreatin, have not proved very suitable forhair preparations, (which are generally acidic), since they are mosteffective at about pH 8.5. A similar objection is open to the use oflipases (mixtures of proteolytic enzymes) which have also beensuggested.

We have now discovered that desirable effects can be imparted to hairpreparations by the incorporation therein of rennet, and that theseeffects can be obtained from both acidicand weakly alkalinepreparations.

Accordingly the present invention provides a hair preparation havingactivity against dandruff comprising, as an antidandruff agent fromabout 0.02 to about 1 percent by weight of rennet.

More particularly we have discovered that hair lotions containing rennetare effective in controlling dandruff.

Rennet isa substance normally used in cheese-making (and which istherefore commercially available) which contains the enzyme chymosin. Itis usually prepared microbiologically; or alternatively it can beisolated from natural sources such as calves stomachs.

in" general the'amount of rennet required to give an acceptableantidandruff effect in the composition of the invention is from 0.0l to1 percent, preferably 0.01 to 0.5 percent by weight.

The most suitable form of hair preparation according to the invention isa lotion, that is an aqueous, alcoholic or aqueous/alcoholic solution oremulsion containing rennet, although'other forms, for example shampoos,gels and creams are not excluded. Preferably the pH of the preparationwill be from 2 to 9, most preferably from 4.5 to 7. A particularlypreferred mode of obtaining a composition within the pH range is toformulate it to include a buffer so that it is buffered at from about pH5-6. r

The invention will be further described in the following examples inwhich the rennet used was of the activity stated in brackets:

EXAMPLE 1 This is an example of an alcoholic hair lotion by weightRennet l :220,000) 0.05

lsopropanol 50.00

Perfume 0.30

Water balance EXAMPLEZ This is an example of an aqueous hair lotion I:by weight Rennet l:220,000) 0.05 Sodium benzoate 0. l 5 Perfume 0.2Water balance EXAMPLE 3 This is an example of an aqueous/alcoholic hairsetting preparation by weight Luviskol VA64 2.0 Rennet l:l00,000) 0.1lsopropanol 45.0 Perfume 0.4 Water balance Luviskol VA64 (Trade Mark) isa commercially available polyvinylpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer.

EXAMPLE 4 This is an example of a hair preparation in the form of a gelCarbopol 940 (Trade Mark) is a carboxyvinyl polymer which functions as athickening agent.

EXAMPLE 5 This is an example of a hair cream preparation by weightParaffin Oil 1 Lanolin Glycerine Cityl alcohol Lanette N Rennet(l:l00,00) p-l-lydroxybenzoic acid-ethyl ester Perfume Water balanceLanette N (Trade Mark) is a 9:1 mixture of cetyl stearyl alcohol/sodiumcetyl stearyl sulphate.

EXAMPLE 6 This is an example of a hair preparation in the form of aconditioner by weight Katioran (Trade Mark) is a hydrophilic fatty acidcondensation product.

EXAMPLE 7 This is an example of a hair preparation in the form of ashampoo by weight Sodium alkyl polyglycol ether sulphate l5.2 Ethyleneglycol distearate l.0 Sodium chloride 2.0 Technical grade rennet powder0.5 Perfume 0.5 Water balance The composition was adjusted to pH 5.5with citric acid.

EXAMPLE 8 This is an example of a hair preparation in the form of acream lotion k by weight Stearyl alcohol 3.5 Stearyl alcohol polyglycolether 3.5 Spermaceti 5.0 lsopropyl myristate 3.0 Glycerine 5.0 Technicalgrade rennet powder 0.1 Perfume 0.4 Water balance This composition wasemulsified and found to have a pH of 6.4.

EXAMPLE 9 The following experiment was performed to ascertain theeffectiveness of a lotion of the formulation shown in Example 1 incombatting dandruff.

A group of 100 people with bad or moderate dandruff were asked to applythe lotion twice a day and to wash their hair at the beginning of thetrial period but not during it. A second group of 100 were asked toapply a lotion of the following formula in the same way:

i: by weight Salicyclic acid 2 isopropanol 48 Water 50 A third group ofwere asked to apply a 50 percent aqueous solution of isopropanol as ablank. The results of these tests are given in Table i.

TABLE 1 Number of persons showing a marked reduction of dandruff afteruse of lotion No. of days Lotion with elapsed Lotion of Ex. I salicyclicacid Blank lotion 3 I8 29 i2 6 26 38 l8 10 3| 54 22 I4 52 63 28 After 14days the treatment was discontinued and the number of persons whose haircondition relapsed was noted. The results of this part of the experimentare shown in Table 2.

tive than one containing salicylic acid and salicylic acid lotions havebeen suggested as antidandruff agents in the past.

What is claimed is:

l. A hair preparation having activity against dandruff comprising, as ananti-dandruff agent from about 0.0] to about 1 percent by weight ofrennet.

2. A hair preparation according to claim 1 wherein the rennet is inaqueous or alcoholic emulsion or solution.

3. A hair preparation according to claim 1 in the form of a lotion.

4. A hair preparation according to claim 1 in the form of a shampoo.

5. A hair preparation according to claim 1 having a pH of from about 2to about 9.

6. A hair preparation according to claim 5 having a pH of from about 4.5to about 7.

7. A hair preparation according to claim 6 having a pH buffered at fromabout 5 to about 6.

2. A hair preparation according to claim 1 wherein the rennet is in aqueous or alcoholic emulsion or solution.
 3. A hair preparation according to claim 1 in the form of a lotion.
 4. A hair preparation according to claim 1 in the form of a shampoo.
 5. A hair preparation according to claim 1 having a pH of from about 2 to about
 9. 6. A hair preparation according to claim 5 having a pH of from about 4.5 to about
 7. 7. A hair preparation according to claim 6 having a pH buffered at from about 5 to about
 6. 